Harrison burns Browns in setting receiving record

Published: December 16, 2002 12:00 AM

That slight physique hasn't stopped Harrison from putting up huge numbers in his seventh season in the league.

Harrison's totals in the Colts' 28-23 win over Cleveland Sunday -- nine catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns -- put him atop the league's single-season receiving list with 127 receptions. Herman Moore set the previous mark with 123 grabs for Detroit in 1995.

With two games left in the season, Harrison has a shot to put the record to near unreachable heights. That's something he's thinking about, but not before he helps the Colts reach the playoffs.

"It's an achievement and everyone's happy we got this win today, but we still have room for improvement," Harrison said. "The record did happen, and I'm fortunate and grateful that a lot of good things have come my way this entire season. The focus is still on the next two games.

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"(The record) is good. Give me two more weeks. We'll see where it's at."

Harrison's record-breaking catch came in the third quarter, on a fourth-and-one play from Cleveland's 44 that netted him 5 yards and the Colts a first down.

"He's just unbelievable," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "You just knew -- the way he practiced after the Tennessee game, where he had a dropped pass -- that he was going to come up with a big day.

"He was geared up and ready to go. He's just amazing."

While Harrison's numbers this season are astounding -- 127 catches, 1,566 yards and 10 TDs -- he's virtually ignored when it comes to naming favorites for the league's MVP award. That didn't stop his running mate and fellow Syracuse alum, Quadry Ismail, from staging an impromptu campaign for Harrison in the Colts' locker room.

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"Marvin, what do you feel about being one of the league's MVPs?" Ismail jokingly inquired in front of the assembled media. "Clearly, week in and week out you've dominated; DBs can't press you, they can't double-team you. MVP, MVP, write that down and quote it."

Aside from his reception record, Harrison is the first receiver to post back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons in NFL history.

Harrison's first touchdown catch came on a perfect strike from quarterback Peyton Manning over Cleveland cornerback Anthony Henry late in the third quarter, slicing the Browns' lead to 16-14. His second, a 3-yarder over the middle in the fourth quarter, once again allowed Indy to close within 23-21. His longest reception of the day, a 46-yarder later in the fourth quarter, was a key play on the Colts' game-winning touchdown drive.

It was all in a day's work for Harrison, especially against the Browns. In the team's last meeting, a 29-28 Cleveland win in December of 1999, Harrison finished with 14 catches for 138 yards.

"I try to stay hungry each and every week," Harrison said. "I still think there's room for improvement. I've got to get back to practice hard on Wednesday and see what I did wrong. We've still got two games to play and we've got to get the one next week."

Manning had an idea that Harrison was headed for a big day during pregame warmups.

"They always come to me about the weather and whether we're going to wear sleeves," Manning said. "I wasn't going to wear sleeves because it's sort of macho thing and it wasn't all that cold out. Marvin didn't have sleeves and I asked him how his arms felt without sleeves. He said he had so much adrenaline that he wasn't worried about it.

"He had a little extra kick in his step today," Manning added. "He's probably glad that the record is over with and now he can just go to work. He's got two games left so he's going to try to break it forever."